Rotary steam-engine.



R. C. FRASER.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. H, 1917.

Patented May 7,1918. 3 SHEETS-SHEET I I r H mm? R. c. FRASER.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. H, 1917.

Paceilted May 7,1918; 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

r h m w 4 a w R. C. FRASER.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 11. 1917.

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Patented May 7,1918.

3 $HEETSSHEET 3 earns nine.

RICHARD CLAYTON FRASER, OF CENTRAL CITY, COLORADG, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-THIRD TO WILLIAM R. FRASER, OF DUBANGO, COLORADO.

ROTARY STEAM-ENGIN E.

Original application filed May 9,

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented May 7, 1918.

1917. Serial No. 196,003.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD CLAYTON FRASER, citizen of the United States, residing at Central City, in the county of Gilpin and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to rotary steam engines, and more particularly to a rotary 1soteam engine having compound steam chamers.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a compact, simple engine, and a further object of the invention is to provide a rotor having a series of pockets in which steam under full boiler pressure may be utilized initially in a series of high pressure pockets, and then subsequently the steam is transferred from these pockets into expansion chambers which may be suitably arranged upon the rotor, the several chambers or pockets in the rotor of the engine being cooperatively disposed with relation to complementary steam chambers or pockets in the casing of the engine.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an engine of such construction that it may be arranged or installed directly upon the machine or apparatus which is to be driven, as, for instance, in combination with a machine tool, or for driving purposes in vehicles, or may be utilized as a stationary engine when arranged upon a suitable support.

It is another object of the invention to provide a compound, rotary and reversible steam engine, and one in which friction is eliminated as much as possible and in which means are provided to pack the running parts at the ioints of the respective elements of the motor so as to conserve the pressure of the steam.

Another and important object of the present invention is to provide a rotary, compound and reversible steam engine in which the parts may be readily mounted and dismounted for the purpose of providing for renewal or repairs, and to enable ready ac cess to the various portions of the motor.

With these and other objects in view as will be rendered manifest in the follow ng specification, one embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the end of the engine which is provided with a set of mechanically 0perated D valves.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, central section, longitudinally of the engine.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the end plate of the engine showing the steam chest of the D valves and the plate being partly broken away to indicate the position of the steam pockets.

Fig. 4: is a view of the engine casing with the end plate removed, and showing the relation of the steam pockets and the rotor within the casing from the same side of the engine illustrated in Fig. 3, and omitting the end plate thereof.

In the present embodiment of my invention it is shown as designed as a stationary engine provided with a suitable hearing or framework 2 which is adapted to be appropriately secured to a foundation or support in the usual or ordinary manner, al though it is to be understood that the cooperative driving mechanisms of this engine may be utilized in direct combination with apparatus to be driven, such, for instance, as any machine tool or line shaft or vehicle transmission, if so desired. Journaled upon the uprights of the frame 2 there is shown a suitable shaft 3 which is provided with a rotor or rotary piston memher 4 preferably keyed as at 5 upon the shaft 3. The periphery of the rotor is suitably incased or inclosed in a cylindrical casing 6, and the opposite ends of the casing 6 on each side of the rotor 5 are provided with suitable end plates 7 and 8, which may be bolted or otherwise appropriately connected to the casing or cylinder ring 6.

It is one of the important features of my present invention to provide a rotary steam engine in which motive fluid force may be utilized first at initially high pressure directly from a source of supply, and then subsequently exhausted from the high pressure pockets or chambers to other and compound chambers. To that end the rotor 4: is provided with a series of pockets l0, illustrated in Fig. 4, these being peripherally disposed about the circumference of the rotor and preferably are of triangular lo gitudina an we cross sectional form and provided at one end with an inclined Wall 10 against which steam is adapted to impinge during the op eration of the engine. These pockets 10 form the compound chambers oi the engine and are adapted to move successively into opposition to complementary compound steam. pockets 11 of which there is one each at the top and at the bottom of the engine cylinder 6. The high pressure pockets or chambers in the rotor l are shown as arranged in the end face or the rotor in l at 12, there being shown, in this in stance, "tour of the peripheral compound pockets and tour of the high pressure pockets 12 turranged in the site of the engine. it is one of the features of the invention to provide a reversible compound fluid pressure pperated engine and to obtain this system or operation the rotor preferably is constructed with two series ot the compound pockets 10, as illustrated in 2, and also with two series of the pockets 12 in the op posite end Walls of the rotor i, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. The reverse driving operation of the rotor is secured by reversing the direction or": the pitch or inclination of the abutment walls and 12 respectively of the pockets 10 and 1:2 so that when steam is admitted, for instance to the pockets l0 and 12, Fig. l, the engine will be driven left hand and conversely when the steam or other fluid pressure is admitted to the pockets of the other side of the engine; these pockets, being directed in re verse direction, cause the rotation of the rotary member in an opposite or clockwise direction.

li hile suitable means may be provided to control the low or the fluid pressure or steam into the initial or high pressure pool:- ets 12, and then subsequently into the compound poclret 10, end plate 7 of the engine is shown as provided With diametrically opposite and alined upper and lOWGI steam chests 13 and 1d, and Within these chests there are slidably mounted suitable types of valves, for instance, the Well known l3 valves 13 and 14; these being connected together through means or" the piston rod or connecting link 15 which is provided with a central slotted portion a 15 to straddle the shaft To secure the proper timing and movement of the valves 13 and 14s the connecting rod 15 is suitably actuated by appropriate connecting means with the shaft 3. in this form of the engine the connecting rod 15 is provided with a stem 16 which may carry an anti-friction roller 16this adapted to operate in an internal cam 17 keyed or otherwise suitabl secured to the shat't 3.

Steam is supplied the or the er main throttleor cut-ed valve 21 and is branched as at and 22 toprovide respective connections to the opposite end plates of the engine branch 22 being provided with a valve 23 which in turn is connected with a branched pipe 2st,. Fig. 1., leaning to the upper and lower steam chests 13 and 1% respectively. The valves in these chests are adapted to open and close respective steam passage-Ways l ading through the end plate 7 to the steam chambers 12 and 10. As shown in Figs. 9- and 3 the steam chests 13 and 1d are provided with outermost ducts or passage-Ways 13 1 1 respectively which lead inwardly and discharge into respective pockets 18 and no formed on the inner surface of the end plate '5 in a circle in which the high pressure pockets 12 of the adjacent face of the rotor a are provided. Next adjacent and inwardly from the mouths of the ports 13 and 14? there are provided steam passage-Ways 13 and 14, these being directed through the end plate *2 transversely and thence outwardly as shown in Fig. 2, to communicate with corresponding ducts formed in the casing 6, and leading into the outer compound steam pockets 11. Below the mouths of the passage-Ways 13 and in and nearer the center of the plate there are further ")rovided another set of high pressure steam ports or passage-Ways 13 and 1r: these being directed through the end plate 7 angularly across the same as hown in 3 to communicate with respective pockets 13 and l t which also are disposed in the circle coordinate irith the circle in which the high pressure pockets 12 in the adjacent face of the rotor operate. Thus there is provided in each steam chest 13 and 1% a series of three ports, for instance in the chest 13 ports 13% 13 and 13 When the valve 13 is actuated through means of the cam 17 to the position shown in Fig. 2, live steam or other fluid pressure is permitted to pass through the innermost port 18 and thence into the connected pockets 13 Rich will therefore be charged with steam under full pressure and as the rotor l rotates itwill bring one of its pockets 12- adjacent to the pockets 13 and pressure will be permitted to enter the pockets 12 and impinge upon the abutment surface or Wall 12 of the latter and cause the rotor to turn. While l3 va re 13 is in its uppermost position communication is also established at this time between pocket which is connected to the uppermost port l fl'l ig. 3, and pocket as the valve 13 is provided in its bottom surface with a recessed portion which permits the iiovr 0r steam from the steam port oi the otor pockets 12 through the iguous pockets in the end face, and the port 18 thus allowing the -o into the steam port 13, thus exhausting steam to expand through the last port and pass into the peripheral pocket 11 so that when a peripheral pocket 10 of the rotor moves into juxtaposition thereto the steam is further expanded and its force utilized on the periphery of the rotor to rotate the latter. In a similar manner control of the steam is to be through the lower D valve 14:, this being shown in Fig. 3 in its upper position and uncovering the port 14 to permit high pressure steam to pass thereinto and into the end wall pocket 14* to supply steam to a pocket in the adjacent face of the rotor. Meanwhile the steam is exhausting from one of the pockets, as 14 through the steam passage-way 14 and beneath the valve 14; thence outwardly through the steam passage-way 14 to the peripheral pocket shown in the lower portion of Fig. 2.

At each quarter rotation of the rotor 4 the position of the valves 13 and 14 is alternated so that the previously uncovered ports supplying steam under full pressure to the high pressure pockets are covered and the other series of passage-ways uncovered to permit the flow of steam in the opposite direction to supply the next succeeding series of rotor pockets.

This application is a division of application Number 167,532 filed May 9, 1917 for rotary engine by the present applicant.

What I claim is:

1. In a compound rotary motor, a rotor having series of pockets with inclined bottom walls, each pocket having a substantially radial impact face, a casing inclosing the rotor, a source of fluid pressure, and means including connected, diametrically opposed valves, for controlling the supply of high pressure initially to one series of pockets and concurrently connecting a given high pressure pocket to one of a second series, and means providing for the exhaust of pressure from the latter series, the bottom of said pockets all symmetrically inclining in the coordinate series and terminating at their inner and deeper ends at the roots of their respective impact faces.

2. In a compound rotary motor, a rotor having series of pockets, each pocket having a substantially radial impact face, a casing inclosing the rotor, a source of fluid pressure, and mechanically operated means for controlling the supply of high pressure initially to one series of pockets and concurrently connecting a given high pressure pocket to one of a second series, and means providing for the exhaust of pressure from the latter series, the impact faces of coordinate series all being symmetrically disposed.

3. In a compound rotary motor, a rotor having series of pockets, each pocket having a substantially radial impact face, a casing inclosing the rotor, a source of fluid pressure and connected valves for controlling the supply of high pressure initially to one series of pockets and concurrently connecting a given high pressure pocket to one of a second series, and means providing for the exhaust of pressure from the latter series.

a. In a compound rotary motor, a rotor having series of pockets, each pocket having a substantially radial impact face, a casing inclosing the rotor, a source of fluid pressure, and mechanically operated valves for controlling the supply of high pressure initially to one series of pockets and concurrently connecting a given high pressure pocket to one of a second series, and means for providing for the exhaust of pressure from the latter series.

5. In a compound rotary motor, a casing, a rotor mounted therein, a supply for fluid pressure, a series of passage-ways for high pressure leading to the rotor, a passageway leading to a compounding pocket in the rotor, and a valve movable alternately to permit supply of high pressure to one or another of said high pressure passage-ways and concurrently connecting the other high pressure passage-way to the compounding passage-way, said valve actuated by the rotor.

6. In a reversible rotary motor, a casing, fluid pressure supply means connected thereto, a rotor in said casing having series of impact or pressure receivlng faces, the faces of one series directed oppositely to those of the other, valve controlled passage-ways for each series of faces in the rotor and manually operable control valves in the supply means for selectively directing fluid pressure to one or the other of the said passageways to control the direction of rotation, said sets of valves actuated by the rotor.

7. In a reversible, compound rotary motor, a casing, a rotor in said casing having a set of series of impact faces symmetrically facing one direction on the rotor, another set of series of faces symmetrically facing and disposed to face oppositely to those of the other set, whereby pressure applied to one set causes rotation in a direction reverse to that applied to the other set, a supply for fluid pressure, a valvular control means for each set of-faces on the rotor, manually operable valves for controlling passage of fluid to said means to determine direction of rotation of the rotor, each set including high and low pressure impact faces, and exhaust means for the low pressure faces, said control means mechanically operated.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RICHARD. CLAYTON FRASER.

Gopies oi this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G. 

